#65 Belongs To Andre Gurode

There are officially 65 days until the toe meets the ball at AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys will host the New York Giants on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Hello Friday! We’ve all been scavenging through the week, desperately trying to arrive at today. I’m sure you’ve got some fun festivities planned for the weekend, but I bet you’ve got some even more fun stuff planned for what’s happening 65 days from now…Dallas Cowboys football. To celebrate, and to get you properly prepared, we’re going to talk about the Greatest 65 in Dallas Cowboys History.

The following players have all worn 65 for the Dallas Cowboys:

Andre Gurode, C

Ronald Leary*, OG

Kurt Petersen, OG

Ray Schoenke, OG

Tony Slaton, C

Dave Stalls, DT

Ron Stone, OG

Bob White, C

John Wilbur, OG

*Active player on the Dallas Cowboys roster

Unlike most of our Cowboy countdowns, the number 65 is really all about one player. Andre Gurode hails from the Lone Star State as he played his high school ball in Houston. He went on to play collegiately at the University of Colorado where he made quite the name for himself prior to the 2002 NFL Draft.

Taken with the 37th overall pick, Andre Gurode made a lot of history in his rookie season. Gurode became the first Dallas Cowboys rookie EVER to start at the center position (Travis Frederick would accomplish this in 2013). On a more historic level, Andre Gurode was part of an accomplishment that went far beyond the game of football. 2002 is believed to be the first time in NFL History that all five of a team’s starting offensive linemen were African American: Flozell Adams, Larry Allen, Andre Gurode, Kelvin Garmon, and Solomon Page.

Andre’s rookie season had one more milestone in it, and his name was Emmitt Smith. On October 27th, 2002 against the Seattle Seahawks and with Andre Gurode at center…Emmitt Smith surpassed Walter Payton to become the NFL’s All-Time Leading Rusher.

Andre played guard for the 2003 and 2004 seasons before getting reduced to a backup role in 2005. In 2006 Andre Gurode refocused on football and won the starting job once more, and a new quarterback midseason in Tony Romo, and became one of the NFL’s most elite centers traveling to five straight Pro Bowls (2006-2010).

Andre Gurode was a foundation at the center position that helped the Cowboys get off to solid footing in the Tony Romo era. His resume is padded with accomplishments that range in terms of historical significance. He is unquestionably the Greatest 65 in Dallas Cowboys History.

Check back tomorrow to find out who the Greatest 64 in Dallas Cowboys History is!

Tell us what you think about "#65 Belongs To Andre Gurode" in the comments below. You can also email me at RJ.Ochoa@SlantSports.com, or Tweet to me at @RJOchoa!

I like long walks on the beach, mystery novels, no just kidding those suck. The Dallas Cowboys were put on this earth for us all to love and appreciate. I do that 24/7/365. I also love chicken parmesan. Let's roll.
@RJOchoa if you wanna shout!

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2018 Draft Class Season Review: LB Leighton Vander Esch

As the first round draft pick of America's Team, any player would be under a ton of pressure from all angles. Whether it's from the fans on the outside or the organization on the inside, the expectations around being a first round pick for the Cowboys are immense. But the pressure placed upon linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, from the second he was announced as the 19th overall draft pick, was second to none.

It felt like Cowboys Nation let out a collective groan when Vander Esch was taken, with fans hoping for a more glamorous first round selection. Someone like wide receiver Calvin Ridley or edge rusher Harold Landry would've done the trick, but after Vander Esch's rookie season it's hard to imagine either of those players would have had the impact Vander Esch did in 2018.

Though he didn't start a game until week 4, and didn't become the unquestioned full-time starting WILL until week 10, Vander Esch earned Pro Bowl honors for his rookie season. Tallying 140 total tackles and 2 interceptions, Vander Esch made his presence felt week in and week out.

Prior to the 2018 season, the Cowboys defensive success often came down to the health of Sean Lee. When available and playing at his best, Lee led an overachieving Cowboys defense to solid performances each week. But, when Lee went out (as he often did), the entire Cowboys defense seemed to fall apart.

This year, though, that all changed. When Sean Lee was out with injury the Cowboys defense got better. Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith became a versatile, hard hitting tandem the NFL immediately feared, and helped to direct the Cowboys defense to signature wins throughout the 2018 season.

There are arguments against taking any off-ball linebacker in the first round, as the value of the position has been questioned due to the new style of offense in the NFL. Nowadays linebackers are relegated to two-down players, taken off the field in favor of faster defensive backs on critical passing downs.

Leighton Vander Esch is athletic enough to be both an old school run stopper, but also a three down linebacker in today's fast paced NFL.

Despite the doubts which surrounded the pick, the Cowboys absolutely nailed their first round selection in 2018. And Leighton Vander Esch made Dallas' front office look like geniuses each and every Sunday.

What Is The Cowboys Most Pressing Offseason Need?

Finishing their season with a Division Round loss, Dallas Cowboys fans are getting a somewhat late start on the 2019 offseason. Of course, we'd much rather a later start, but the results are what they are.

Now Dallas must get better, and re-tool before heading into Dak Prescott's fourth season, and the Cowboys' 2019 campaign. Though they didn't feel all that close to a championship this season, looking around the roster, it's actually tough to identify one key need the Cowboys must address.

They are filled with young, talented players that they have high hopes for across the board. And in the places they are "older," such as across the offensive line, they have established veterans who aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

So what is the Cowboys' most pressing offseason need?

Well, despite already using their 2019 first round pick to address it, the answer very well might be wide receiver.

Adding Amari Cooper midseason provided a massive jolt to the Cowboys previously anemic passing attack, but on his own he is not enough to take this passing game to where it needs to be to compete in this new NFL.

Third round pick Michael Gallup is going to be a very good pro, and progressed really well as his rookie season went on. I think he can play opposite Amari Cooper nicely, and be the number two option in the passing game going forward.

Though arguably their best wide out against man coverage, Cole Beasley is a free agent, and if the reports are true about Scott Linehan returning in 2019 it could very well mean Beasley will not be opting to sign back with Dallas.

Regardless of Beasley's decision, however, the Cowboys need to seriously evaluate their pass catchers heading into next season.

This is a passing league. The rules have dictated that you must be able to pass the ball efficiently if you want to compete with the best of the best around the NFL. To take the next step in their progression, and reach an NFC title game and/or Super Bowl, Dak Prescott will need to have as explosive a group of pass catchers as possible.

The Cowboys have already taken solid steps to making this a reality, but another move or two this offseason could go a long way to putting Dallas in the conversation with teams like the Rams and the Saints in 2019.